Qatar 2022: Italy, Macedonia before Portugal or Turkey

Inside or out, Thursday is already time to take stock. Italy is aiming for the World Cup: two obstacles to overcome in order to snatch the world championship ticket. North Macedonia arrives at Renzo Barbera in Palermo: kick-off at 8.45 pm. Playoff semifinal, the winner will challenge who between Turkey and Portugal will manage to reach the final.

LATEST RESULTS

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The coach Mancini has called up the 33 Azzurri who will try the assault on Qatar 2022. Outside Balotelli and Romagnoli, inside Joao Pedro and Luiz Felipe. The National team in the last official matches has remedied two draws against Switzerland and Northern Ireland: results that catapulted it directly to the playoffs. The latest victory came against Belgium in the Nations League final for third place. North Macedonia managed to conquer two successes in the challenges with Armenia and Iceland by winning the second place in group J behind Germany: 18 points, Romania third and eliminated with 17. As reported by Oddschecker, Italy has a probability of 91 % to win the playoff final.

PREVIOUS

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Only two precedents in official matches between Italy and North Macedonia. Opponents in Group G during the World Cup qualifiers for Russia 2018. In the first leg match in Skopje the Azzurri won 2-3: Belotti scored and a brace from Immobile. The networks of Nestorovski and Hasani were not enough for Pandev and his companions. It was the Ventura national team. The return match in Turin ended 1-1: Chiellini and Trajkovski the scorers. Arrived at the playoffs, that Italy failed to enter the competition eliminated by Ibrahimovic’s Sweden. Today Elmas leads the group that the Azzurri will face at Barbera. According to the analysis of Oddschecker, Italy is clearly favored for the victory in the 90 ‘with 82% probability, the draw is worth 15% while the success of the opponents just 3%. In its history, North Macedonia has never reached the qualification for the World Cup. The first step to be overcome in the semifinals, Mancini’s group knows it well. He needs to find the right path, undertaken this summer until the triumph of Wembley. Now the goal is Qatar 2022, one step at a time. Italy is at a crossroads.